The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA)’s Amusement Expo 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center is the premier trade event for the coin-op and out-of-home entertainment industries. For 2012, the event has retained Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) to coordinate the week-long educational and awards program aimed at entertainment centers during the Expo. The Expo is co-owned and co-sponsored by the AAMA, which represents the manufacturing and distribution segments of the industry, and the AMOA, which represents primarily the operator side of the marketplace. The event is conducted each spring and is managed by W.T. Glasgow, Inc., Orland Park, Ill. FEU partners and top industry consultants Frank Seninsky, President/CEO of Amusement Entertainment Management (AEM) and Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales, along with Randy White, CEO of White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, will coordinate the week-long educational and awards program for entertainment centers.

The Excellence in Family Entertainment Center Awards

Tourist Attractions & Parks Magazine and Foundations Entertainment University, through their leading roles in the industry, have joined together to recognize the many hard-working and talented individuals who have taken their centers from good to great, raising the bar for our industry.
In order to recognize entertainment center excellence, here are the nominees:

Best Redemption Prize Center

Enchanted Castle, Lombard, Ill.
www.enchanted.com

Blue Fusion, Marion, Ohio
www.bluefusionfun.com

Funhaven Entertainment Center
www.funhaven.com

Fannie Farkles, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
www.fanniefarkles.net

So who will decide the winners? You will! What makes these award winners truly deserving is that they will be voted upon by their industry peers. Participants will have the opportunity to cast their vote online in February for the “Best of the Best” and show support for setting new standards for “Excellence in Family Entertainment Centers.

The Show and Family Entertainment Centers

The show will become the new home for the many entertainment center owners and managers who found themselves without a tradeshow and focused seminar program to call their own when the Fun Expo joint venture came to an end. Attendees can also attend Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) at a discounted rate of $399 for a two-day/one-evening educational event March 12 and 13. FEU will also be coordinating six free entertainment center seminars that include two morning sessions of Birthday University. These will take place as part of Amusement Expo’s educational networking program, March 14-16. In addition, there will be a special FEU Alumni program for the 732 FEU graduates who attended Foundations University over the past eight years.

The show floor during Amusement Expo 2011. Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) will coordinate the week-long educational and awards program aimed at entertainment centers during the 2012 edition of the event.

If you are only planning to attend the Amusement Expo, and not the paid Foundations University, as long as you are a member in good standing of a related industry trade association, as noted in the registration materials, your admission fees for Amusement Expo will be $60 for pre-registration and $80 after the deadline. This admission fee will also entitle you to attend any of the free FEU/Amusement Expo sessions, the FEU Alumni Sessions, as well as any of the AMOA/AAMA seminars.
Amusement Expo 2012 offers an opportunity to connect with manufactures, suppliers and industry experts. There are three days of show floor hours to give you time to browse the aisles and talk one-on-one with the companies who can help you make your business successful. This show is especially beneficial for family entertainment centers, bringing together those companies that are relevant to your business needs in a comfortable and not overwhelming atmosphere.

Foundations Entertainment University

For entrepreneurs looking to get into the location-based entertainment industry, individuals and companies in the planning, designing and building stage, and owners/managers and family businesses looking to grow, expand, modernize or reinvest in their current operations, this will be their only opportunity to attend Foundations Entertainment University at a significantly discounted price. This registration fee also includes access to Amusement Expo (an additional $60 value) and all it has to offer. FEU’s industry experts cover over 22 hours of instruction that provide an opportunity for attendees to learn the nuts and bolts about opening and running an entertainment facility and how to keep their facilities new, exciting and most importantly, profitable.
Program topics will include market and financial feasibility, cost estimates, planning, designing and developing as well as creating the proper mix of attractions, services and games, maximizing entertainment value, theming and managing a location-based entertainment business and/or FEC for long-term success. In addition, attendees will learn to define their target markets, assess the competition and analyze demographics and socio-economics in their area. There will also be one-on-one time Monday evening with each of the instructors and session sponsors. Two lunches and one dinner are included in the price.
Joining Seninsky and White in presenting the Foundations Entertainment University seminar program will be: Alan Fluke, president of AEA Consulting Group; Jerry Merola, managing partner of Amusement Entertainment Management (AEM) and CFO of Alpha-Omega Amusements; and Peter F. Olesen, P.E., president of Entertainment Concepts, Inc.
Well-known industry experts from Foundations University and throughout the industry will be brought in to share their experience and knowledge during the Amusement Expo educational networking program, starting March 14. Other topics your Amusement Expo access pass includes are: “Birthday Programs for the Next Century” and “Relationship Selling, Group Events/Parties, Without Placing an Ad” (Frank Price, Birthday University); “Entertainment Trends – Now and Towards the Future for FEC Owners/Managers!” (Kevin Williams, KWP); “How to Efficiently Clean and Maintain Your FEC and Individual Attractions” (Patti Garrand, TreePaad Family Fun Center, Mechanicville, N.Y.); “Five Most Important Business Principles and Seven Primary Strategies to Grow Your Business, Your Profits, and Have Fun Doing It” (Bill Carlson, U-Profit Business Success); and a special session “Your Future, Looking into the FEC Industry Crystal Ball” by industry entertainment consultants Seninsky and White.

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